IN THE PRAJNA PARAMITA SUTRA the most
important point, of course, is the idea of emptiness. Before we
understand the idea of emptiness, everything seems to exist
substantially. But after we realize the emptiness of things,
everything becomes real—not substantial. When we realize that
everything we see is a part of emptiness, we can have no attachment
to any existence; we realize that everything is just a tentative
form and color. Thus we realize the true meaning of each tentative
existence. When we first hear that everything is a tentative
existence, most of us are disappointed; but this disappointment
comes from a wrong view of man and nature. It is because our way of
observing things is deeply rooted in our self-centered ideas that we
are disappointed when we find everything has only a tentative
existence. But when we actually realize this truth, we will have no
suffering.